A walk around Grasmere and Rydal.

18/10/2018.

A week off work....You can't waste time off work. With this in mind we set off up to the Lakes for a walk. A treat [its always a treat to visit the lakes]. We have been visiting the Lake district for walks around 25 years now and I still get excited at the prospect of spending time up there. No where else has this effect on me...in short... im in love with the place.After a mainly sleepless night, we were up at 4 and set off up the A1...Destination Heaven.

As we drove over Dunmail raise and down to Grasmere we realised what a corker of a walk this was going to be..Ahead of us lay a fantastic cloud inversion. A sea of cotton wool covering the valley floor..hope it lasts for some photographs..We parked up and booted up in record time..heading off up the Red bank road...slow down for Red Squirrel signs every few yards along here....I wondered if we would be lucky enough to see one...There were occasional glimpses through the mist across the lake to Loughrigg, the hill where we were heading.

Nearing the top of the pass we located the Loughrigg terrace path, a path that crosses the northern flanks of the fell, However before we followed this delightful path we need to walk up to the summit, it shouldn't take long, although listed as a Wainwright fell it doesn't stand much above the 1000 foot mark..With every few steps I turned to take in the show in the valley..The mist was slowly clearing. We passed a couple of lads flying a drone I bet they got some great results this morning.

Before long we were sat/stood on the summit enjoying a sandwich and a coffee..Of all of the little fells this has to be one of the best viewpoints..Spinning round I named the main features..Windermere...Coniston fells..Crinkle crags and Bowfell...The Langdale pikes, Silver howe, Helm crag, Dunmail raise, Seat sandal and most of the Fairfield horseshoe...A perfect view on a perfect day...Time to move on ...Another Wainwright on the wifes list.

I didn't want too but it time to leave the summit and head back down to the Terrace path..The last of the mist had fizzled away leaving great views of the lake..crystal clear.The views were so good..i got to thinking about the best views in the Lake district..its hard to decided but I would plump for the view of Borrowdale from Great end...a view to die for

We trotted along the path..I felt happy...I almost whistled..I looked around in all directions, everywhere looked perfect..some great Autumn colour around these parts...suddenly peace was shattered as a Staffy bolted out of the bracken heading for Alfie [ our placid laidback Springer]..A women shouted for him to come back but he was on a mission to sniff Alfies parts...After sniffing where Alfies parts used to be he wandered off...his owner shouting VINCE...GET BACK HERE !!..
what a great name for a dog I thought.

Next came Rydal water, one of the most beautiful of the Lakelands lakes,situated in the Rothay valley between Ambleside and Grasmere...I took some photos, Alfie took a swim..I didn't want the shoreline path to end.

I had wanted to visit the caves along here but somehow or other we found ourselves on the wrong path...never mind ...We crossed Pelter bridge and walked along the road to the Hamlet of Rydal..a few houses and a church line the one street..a place significant in the history of English romantic literature as William wordsworth lived here at Rydal mount. Wordworth was not only one of our best poets but he was also a great walker..and here we are following in his very footsteps...we headed off along the coffin route..some of the views along here wouldn't have changed much since the days of the Romantic poet.

We passed many lovely houses along here with equally lovely gardens..an elderly man was taking a photograph of a Silver birch tree..In gods name what sort of tree is that he shouted out in a soft Irish accent..when I told him he looked a bit disappointed..it looks different he said..it didn't....I like trees.All day we had kept our eyes peeled for Red Squirrels, we knew they were often seen around these parts but we never seem to be lucky enough to see them..we looked up the pines...below the oaks..under the Beeches..never mind...better luck next time..we eventually made it to the end of the coffin route where coffins were carried between Ambleside and Grasmere..hard to imagine that..we passed a rock where it is said that coffins were laid on while those carrying them rested.

The walk nearly over we reached the now busy village of Grasmere...We passed Dove cottage pushing our way through groups of Schoolchildren and Chinese tourists....Shops selling sheep with googly eyes...20p toilets..The wordsworth graves..the line of people queueing outside the gingerbread shop..Tweedies bar...all of the things that Grasmere is famous for...And then Hey.!! a Red squirrel running down the road towards us...At last when you least expect it

Back at the car...only 7 miles walked, but one to remember.